Shrek's Attempt to Clear Its Name

Everyone from Shrek Academy stared at the scene before them, at a loss.

Xuan Zi's sudden move had caught them all off guard. In an instant, they found themselves surrounded by questioning looks from the entire audience.

They squirmed under the scrutiny. The situation was unbearably awkward. As the members of Just Sky Academy left, they could only steel themselves and leave the arena too.

"Damn it. Xuan Zi was too impulsive this time. Now we're in serious trouble."

Mu Jin frowned, his heart full of worry.

He had no way to stop Xuan Zi. Neither his cultivation nor his standing gave him that right.

But after this uproar, Shrek Academy's reputation was bound to suffer, and the rest of the tournament would only grow harder.

No. I can't let public opinion spiral. I have to find a way to turn this around...

At the back of the group, Ling Luochеn and Jiang Nannan wore conflicted expressions. Neither said a word, and they unconsciously put some distance between themselves and the teammates ahead.

Jiang Nannan's gaze kept drifting toward Tang Ya and Xu Sanshi. Her feelings were a tangled mess.

On the fourth day of the tournament, Star Luo Plaza was packed from early morning. Waves of cheers echoed across the arena.

Xuan Zi's public outburst two days earlier had drawn heavy criticism of Shrek Academy, but Shrek's long-standing prestige remained, and its popularity was still high.

Meanwhile, the tournament's dark horse, Just Sky Academy, was drawing just as much attention. Its supporters even seemed to outnumber Shrek's.

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xu Sanshi had put on performances too dazzling to ignore. Though plenty of people still had doubts, even more were eager to see their next matches.

Today marked the start of the round-robin stage, and everyone was watching to see how the strongest teams would be grouped.

Even Xu Jiawei, the emperor of the Star Luo Empire, who rarely attended matches, had taken his seat in the imperial viewing stand early to await the opening match.

After the pre-match festivities, the host read out the teams that had advanced, then announced the round-robin groups.

"Group One: Shrek Academy, Yunluo Advanced Soul Engineer Academy, Thousand Spirit Academy, Just Sky Academy, Dou Ling Royal Advanced Soul Master Academy..."

"What?!"

Mu Jin's face fell the moment he heard the groupings.

"We're in the same group as Just Sky Academy."

"We'll face them in our third round-robin match..."

The entire Shrek Team fell silent. The mood turned grim.

Shrek Team was badly depleted. Only Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochеn could currently hold their own.

Dai Yueheng, Xixi, and the other mainstays were still recovering. Whether they could return in time for the later matches remained unknown.

In Just Sky Academy's rest area, Ye Wuqing, Tang Xiaolei, and the others could not help feeling nervous when they heard the groupings.

Shrek's reputation as the continent's top academy loomed large. Even weakened, it remained a formidable opponent. Ma Xiaotao alone would be difficult to handle.

Fortunately, Song Que spoke up to reassure them, and they gradually settled down.

"Don't be nervous. They're the ones who should be worried."

"Same plan as usual. Our first two opponents aren't especially strong, so compete as you normally would."

"For the third match against Shrek, Bei Bei, San Shi, and I will step in."

Song Que turned to Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei. "How have you been feeling these past two days? You both seem much more stable since your Martial Souls awakened."

They nodded together.

Xu Sanshi looked puzzled. "Strange. Every time my Martial Soul awakened before, it felt like I was being skinned alive."

"But training has felt easier each day."

"At this rate, it won't be long before I have full control of my Martial Soul."

Bei Bei looked thoughtful as he turned to Song Que. "Same here. I'm getting better at controlling my Martial Soul, and the aftereffects of awakening keep fading."

He rubbed his chin and asked tentatively, "Do these changes have something to do with you?"

Song Que smiled faintly. "Who knows..."

Just as the matches were about to begin, Mu Jin strode into the arena and interrupted the proceedings.

Every eye in the audience turned to him. No one could tell what he intended.

The referee frowned and was about to reprimand him, but Mu Jin hurried over and spoke quietly to the referee.

After a moment's hesitation, the referee nodded his consent and handed Mu Jin the Amplifying Soul Tool.

Mu Jin took a deep breath and addressed the crowd. "Everyone, please quiet down. I'm Mu Jin, the teacher leading Shrek Academy's team. I have a few things to say."

In the imperial viewing stand, Emperor Xu Jiawei's brow furrowed. He was displeased that Shrek had interrupted the tournament without permission.

But wary of Xuan Zi, the Shrek Super Douluo hidden nearby, he suppressed his anger to avoid a confrontation.

The spectators and competing teams were baffled. They fell quiet and waited for Mu Jin to continue.

"Spectators, and teachers and students of every competing academy: over the past two days, many rumors about Shrek Academy have spread. I'm sure they've left many of you with doubts and misconceptions about us."

"But the truth will come out, and right and wrong will be judged."

"You've probably noticed that Shrek's team this year is weaker overall. Only two or three of our members are capable fighters."

"Many have mocked Shrek for failing to live up to its name. Today, I'd like to explain what happened."

"Of the students representing Shrek this year, only two are members of our starting team. Everyone else belongs to the reserve team and was away from the academy for field training."

"We did not enter with a depleted team because we take this tournament lightly. We had no choice."

"Before leaving for Star Luo City, our entire starting team and some reserve members were ordered to the Mingdou Mountain Range to eliminate a band of thieves led by Evil Soul Masters."

"Shrek could not shirk its duty to protect the surrounding communities and uphold order across the continent."

"But those Evil Soul Masters were powerful and cunning, and the battle was brutal. Several of our starters lost their lives. The remaining mainstays were all gravely wounded and are recovering at the academy, unable to compete."

"That is the real reason Shrek is competing this year with a depleted roster."

"For years, Shrek has stepped forward whenever the continent's safety was at stake, never counting the cost. I'm explaining this today because I hope you won't be misled by baseless rumors. Please don't let the unfortunate clash two days ago erase what these students have given or dishearten these children who want to do what's right."

Mu Jin bowed deeply to the entire arena, then turned and returned to the team's waiting area.

The arena fell silent for several seconds. Then thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

"What a joke. Shrek's hypocrisy knows no bounds."

An unexpected voice rang out from the stands.

A middle-aged man stood, holding an Amplifying Soul Tool. His voice carried across the entire plaza.

"Jing Hongchen?!"

"He's here!"